Method of laying longitudinal wall courses



Jan. 25, 1944. w. E. URSCHEL 2,339,893

METHOD OF LAYING LONGITUDINAL WALL COURSES Original Filed Aug. 1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /mw w dm,WaW

ATTORNEY Jan. 25,1944. w. E. URSCHEL METHOD OF LAYING LONGITUDINAL WALL COURSES Original Filed Aug. 1. 1940 2 s t -sh t, 2

5 INVENTOR.

'- ll/z/zmml. Z/nvafizl Patented Jan. 25, 1944 METHOD or LAYING LONGITUDINAL WALL COURSES William E. Urschel, Valparaiso, Ind. Original application August 1, 1940, Serial No. 349,309. Divided and this application May 15, 1942, Serial No. 443,110

3 Claims.

My invention has to do with a method of building a wall or the like of solidifiable moldable materialand relates more particularly to an improved method of molding and depositing strips of such material for effecting superposed courses in the wall. This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 349,309, filed August l, 1948, for Molding and depositing machine for solidifiable plastic materials.

An important. object of the present invention is the provision of a novel process for shaping, laying and troweling a continuous strip of solidifiable plastic material, and while the process herein disclosed is exemplified by the manner it may be used for handling concrete made of Portland cement there is no intention of limiting the scope of the invention to any particular moldable or plastic substance.

The above and other desirable objects inherent in and encompassed by the invention will become more apparent from the ensuing description of the preferred method of carrying out my improved process together with a machine adapted to perform the steps of the process, with reference to the next two sheets of drawings, where- V Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a molding head constituting a part of the herein described machine which is adapted to perform steps according to my invention for forming and depositing a strip of solidifiable moldable material in superposed layers to form a wall.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the molding head shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational View of a crankshaft employed for driving tamping members included in the structure of the aforesaid molding head;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the entire machine; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings wherein the 7 same reference characters that appear in several figures designate the same respective parts, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the machine will be seen to include a molding head generally designated l0 which is supported at the outer end of a boom H (carriage means) and which boom is pivotally connected at its inner end by means of a bearing bracket l2 with a vertical standard I3. Thus in the illustrated embodiment of the invention the molding head I0 is constrained for movement in a circular path about the standard l3 for molding and depositing successive vertical layers or courses I 4 of a solidifiable plastic material such as Portland cement for effecting a cy lindrical wall l5. t In Figs. 4 and 5 the bracket [2 is shown as having a hook-like bearing It at the end of an.

2| placed with its camming surface 22 against acam follower 23 which is fixed to the bracket l2..

Set screws 24 and 25 are respectively associated with the collar Zll and the cam member 2| for engaging the standard 13 and thus maintaining these members 20 and 2| in selected vertical positions. When it is desired to discharge'a horizontal course of plastic material from the molding head Hi the collar 20 will be placed against the lower end of the bearing I B and the set screw 24 tightened for maintaining the boom II and the molding head H] in a true horizontal path while they are revolved about the standard 13. Meanwhile the set screw 25 will have been loosened and the cam member 2! moved out of association with the cam follower 23.

The boom i I can be operated for carrying the molding head in a vertical spiral for forming a wall of spirally arranged strips M by use of the cam member 2| in conjunction with the collar 20. At the beginning of the laying of a spiral layer or course by use of the head It, the bracket l2 will be selectively placed vertically upon the standard l3 and the cam member 2! will be positioned with the lower end of the camming face 22 beneath and in abutting relation with the cam follower 23 whereupon the set screw 25 is tightened. During the ensuing operation of the machine the boom l l and the head l0 will. ,be moved circumferentially about the standard.

l3 while being elevated by the cam follower 23 as it rides upwardly along the face122. the cam follower 23 approaches the upper end of the face '22,'movcment of the boom ll will cease and the collar 20 will be moved upwardly into abutting relation with the lower end of-the bracket IZ and the set screw 24 tightened for maintaining said-boom in the elevated position until such time as the set screw 25 can be loos ened and th'e cam 21 readjustedforagain placing When the lower end of the camming surface 22 in cooperating relation with the cam follower 23-. Thereafter when the set screw 25 is again tightened the cycle of rotating the boom II and the molding head I circumferentially and spirally about the standard l3 may be repeated.

The molding head at the outer end of the boom I comprises a frame F which includes a side bar 26 extending in parallelism with the boom II and a pair of transverse members 21 and 28 which are substantially L-shaped as is illustrated in Fig. 1 where the principal portion of the frame member 21 is shown in dotted outline. The upwardly extending legs 29 and 38 of the transverse members 2'! and 28 are suitably attached with the boom H. An elongated upwardly and forwardly extending frame member 3|, Figs. 1

and 2, is connected with the outer end section of the horizontal frame member 26 by any standard means such as rivets 32, and the lower end of this frame member 3| is curved at 33 for seat-' ing the outer periphery of the backwardly curved lower section upon the wall 34 of a hopper 35. A rivet 33a is employed for connecting the hopper wall 34 with the frame member 3|. Said hopper 35, is further supported by means of a bracket 36 which has one end connected with the boom II, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and by means of an extension 31 which is integral with a bearing 69 upon the frame member 3|.

As will be seen in Fig. 4 the lower and discharge end of the hopper comprises the aforesaid front wall 34, a back wall 39, an outer wall 46 and an inner wall 4|. The wall 48 is cut away along a circular edge 42 as illustrated in Fig. 1 and the wall 4| is cut away in a similar fashion. These cut-away sections of the inner and outer walls and 4| are covered by rotatable disklike trowel members 43 and 44. Said trowel members are rotatively fixed upon a common shaft 45 which is journalled in bearings 46 and 41 depending from the undersides of the frame members 21 and 28. The lower end of the front wall 39 is curved about and backwardly from the hubs 48 and 49 of the rotatable trowels 43 and 44 to effect a horizontal sliding trowel member 50. Thus it will be seen that the lower portions of the Walls 40 and 4| together with the opposed inner peripheral sections of the rotatable trowels 43 and 44, the backwardly curved. section of the wall 34 and the trowel member 50 effect a backwardly curved and horizontally directed discharge passage for the hopper 35, this passage being rectangular in cross section.

The trowel members 43 and 44 and the shaft 45 upon which they are carried are rotated by .means of a power train including a pulley 5| fixed to the shaft 45, a belt 52, a pulley 53 fixed to a crankshaft 54, a pulley 55 also fixed to the shaft 54, a belt 56 and a pulley 51 which is mounted upon the drive shaft of an electric motor 58. This motor 58 is suitably attached to an anchor plate 59 mounted upon and near the inner end of the boom Journals for the shaft 54 are designated 60, 6| and 62 and are carried respectively upon a transverse bracket 63 and upon the frame members 26 and 3 I.

Rotation of the motor 58 is such as to drive the trowel members 43 and 44 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. Hence the sections of the opposed peripheral faces of said trowel members which successively traverse the outer and inner walls of the discharge passage do so in a direction which, because of their friction engagement of the material discharged through the passage, enables them to function as feeder members for expediting such discharge.

Discharge of the material through such passage is also aided by a, pair of tamping members 64 and 65 which are reciprocally carried in bearings provided upon the frame member 3|. The rod 64 is reciprocal in bearings 66 and 6'! Whereas the rod or tamping member 65 is reciprocal in bearings 68 and 69. These tamping rods 64 and 65 project into the hopper discharge passage through openings Ill and 1| in the front wall 34 of such passage and are driven from the motor 58 through the crankshaft 54. A crank bearing 12, Fig. 3, has the lower end of a connecting rod 13 journalled thereon whereas the upper end of this connecting rod is pivotally connected with a bearing stud 14 which projects outwardly from a collar 15 which is slidable upon the tamping rod 64. During rotation of the crankshaft 54 and the consequent revolving motion of the crank bearing '12, the connecting rod 13 will cause reciprocal movement of the collar 75 so that upon downward movement of said collar it will compress a spring 16 which by reacting against a collar 11 that isfixed to the rod 64 will cause downward movement of the rod. Should the lower end of the downwardly driven rod encounter an unyieldable obstruction in the discharge passage, the spring '|6 will yield sufficiently to protect the machine against breakage. Return movement of the rod 64 upwardly is effected by the collar pressing against a collar 15a which is fixed to said rod. The field of reciprocation of the rod 64 may be regulated by adjusting the collar 71 axially of the rod and in this way the amount of tamping may be controlled. A driving connection for the tamping rod 65, similar to that for the rod 64, includes a crank bearing 18 on the crankshaft 54, a connecting rod 19, a bearing stud on a collar 8| which is axially reciprocal upon the rod 65, a compressible spring 82 and a collar 83 fixed selectively axially of the rod. A collar Bla, fixed upon the rod 65, corresponds to the collar 15a upon tli rod 64.

An examination of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 will show that the crank bearings 12 and 13 are spaced degrees circumferentially of the crankshaft 54 wherefore the tamping rods 64 and 65 are alternately operated for stuffing or feeding material downwardly and outwardly through the dis charge passage.

Operation of the machine Assuming that the machine is to be used in laying helical layers or courses in the formation of a wall, subsequent to the mounting of the post or standard |3 in the center of the space to be occupied by the wall, the bracket l2 will be adjusted vertically upon this standard until the lower edges of the trowel members 43 and 44 are touching or are in close association with the footing for supporting the wall and the cam member 2| will be set with a section of the face 22 adjacent to-its lower end in engagement with the cam follower 23. The hopper 35 is then filled with the concrete or other plastic material and the motor started. Concurrently with the starting of the motor the trowels 43 and 44 will rotate as above explained and the tamping memfront of the discharge vpassage.

An attendant may control the speed at which the molding head advances by either pushing or pulling upon the boom ll. It should be noted, however, that the machine is self-propelling so long as there is moldable material in the hopper or vertical passage leg to be stuffed into the horizontal molding and discharge passage by the tampers, for the molded strip within such passage is reacted upon by the tampers to advance the molding head when there is material to be packed thereby against previously molded material. Holding back on the boom causes the material to be packed more tightly in the molding and discharge passage by the tampers, while pushing forwardly upon the boom would result in the material being packed less tightly. Ordinarily the shearing and compressing force exerted by the front curved portion of the trowel member 50 upon the moldable material adjacently thereto at the junction of the vertical and horizontal passage legs provides sufficient retarding force to cause the tampers to pack the moldable material to the desired degree of compactness as the molding head advances without influence of auxiliary or manual controlling force.

That is, in the normal operation of the machine the material packed within and extruded from the horizontal leg of the discharge passage completely fills the same and is pressed upon by the lower surface of the sliding trowel member 50.

Should the moldable material in the hopper and vertical passage leg become depleted the head will simply come to a stop, meanwhile running the tampers and troweling disks idly without incurring any ill efiects, so that upon replenishing the hopper with moldable material the tampers will automatically add onto the molded strip while causing the molding head to continue advancing. This automatic feature of the machine adapting it to have moldable material fed to it intermittently makes it especially convenient to be operated by a single attendant who may also prepare the moldable material.

The consistency of the concrete will be such that it will have very little slump after it is laid in place so that it will maintain substantially the contour into which it is molded by the sliding trowel 5H and the rotating trowels 43 and 44. Since the trowels 43 and 44 actually form a part of the discharge passage and move downwardly in the vertical part of the passage they augment the tamping and stufling action of the tamping rods 64 and 65 in forcing the material into and through the passage. Upward movement of the periphery sections of the rotatable members 43 and 44 immediately after passing the lowermost point in their circular paths assist in packing material against the under face of the sliding trowel 5!].

Rotation of the members 43 and 44 is in excess of the speed at which the molding head is advanced so that the opposed faces of these members effect a troweling action upon the inner and outer sides of the extruded strip whereby these surfaces are made smooth and the moisture is worked to the surface and the consistency of the strip is increased.

After a complete revolution has been made with the molding head the collar 20 upon the standard l3 will be brought into association with the lower end of the bracket l2 for supporting this bracket and the molding head in the elevated position while the cam member 2| is adjusted, in the manner hereinabove described, preparatory to laying a succeeding layer or course of the concrete.

While the molding head has been described in association with a machine for forming a cylindrical wall, obviously straight walls or walls of any contour may be formed by associating this molding head with a suitable carriage means for transporting it in a straight line or in a line of other selected configuration.

While I have herein shown and described a single series or group of cooperative steps according to the present invention, together with a particular type of machine for carrying out these steps, it will be understood that the invention extends to various modifications and rearrangement of the order of said steps not sacrificing all of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

L'The method of laying a longitudinal wall course, comprising the steps of effecting an enclosure for and substantially coincident with the perimetric boundary of a longitudinal portion of a space for occupation by such wall course, depositing solidifiable moldable material into said enclosure, and tamping said material compactly into said enclosure toward an endthereof while imparting an advancing movement to said enclosure axially of said space in the direction opposite to that in which said material is tamped, and concurrently imparting an additional movement to the enclosure for rubbing the surface of the compacted material at a speed exceeding that of the advancing movement.

2. The method of laying a longitudinal wall course, comprising the steps of depositing solidifiable moldable material within a portion of the longitudinal space for occupation by said course, augmenting the material thus previously deposited by further deposit added thereto axially of said space, tamping the deposited material axially of the space against the material previously deposited while confining such material within lateral limits substantially coincident with the perimetric boundary of said longitudinal space as it is being tamped to transmit pressure waves through such tamped material to a surface therefront and back thereof, augmenting the deposited material by further deposit added endwise thereto through the chamber inlet opening, tamping the latter deposited material against the material previously deposited and against said supporting surface and side walls while imparting a trowelling motion to portions of said side walls generally toward the chamber outlet end and concurrently axially advancing said chamber at a speed exceeded by that of said trowelling motion while evacuating the tamped material therefrom through said outlet end.

WILLIAM E. URSCHEL. 

